The Weight is a 2026 historical drama film directed by Padraic McKinley and starring Ethan Hawke, Julia Jones, Austin Amelio and Russell Crowe.
The film had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, and had its international premiere out of the competition of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival on February 17. The film is scheduled for a theatrical release in the United States on September 18, 2026, by Vertical.
Samuel Murphy is a widower in 1930s Oregon who is taken from his daughter to serve a prison sentence. Prison Warden Clancy offers Samuel and several other prisoners the opportunity to earn their freedom in exchange for partaking in a dangerous gold smuggling operation for him.
The film is from an original screenplay by Shelby Gaines, Matthew Chapman, and Matthew Booi, based on an original story by Booi and Leo Scherman. Padraic McKinley is the director and it is produced by Fields Entertainment, Under The Influence, and augenschein Filmproduktion, in collaboration with Construction Film. Simon Fields and Nathan Fields are producing for Fields Entertainment with Ryan Hawke for Under The Influence, and Jonas Katzenstein and Maximilian Leo of augenschein.
The cast is led by Ethan Hawke, Russell Crowe and Julia Jones.
Principal photography took place in and around Viechtach, Germany in July 2025.
The Weight premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2026. In March 2026, Vertical acquired North American distribution rights to the film, scheduling it for a theatrical release in the United States on September 18.